Smoke Rings — Beautiful and Practical
Our October Beyond BOBBOL Learn-and-Knit-A-Long revisits lace edgings, the Bits of Lace focus area that started off KnitHeartStrings in 2012!
Smoke Ring with Lace Edging
Smoke Ring with Lace Edging KAL
The project is Smoke Ring with Lace Edging, a versatile accessory you can wear laid on your shoulders as a dressy cowl neckline, or pulled over your head for light-as-air warmth without messing your hairdo. A smoke ring is also sometimes referred to as a natchaq.
The “ring” part of the name refers to the smoke ring’s tubular construction. Most often, the smoke is knitted circularly to make a seamless tube. Lace stitch patterns are often used in knitting smoke rings, giving this form of cowl/wimple a dressy, upscale look.
And “smoke” refers to the light-as-air fibers with superb warmth for their weight that are often used in making smoke rings.
Techniques used and described
- Beginning with a strip of pretty lace edging knit flat. Detailed instructions are included for provisional cast on and grafting for an invisible seam.
- Picking up stitches and knitting circularly in an overall lace stitch pattern.
- Binding off in a decorative lacy stitch.
Note: The originally published Smoke Ring with Lace Edging pattern prior to October 2014 was a text-only version. The version of the pattern for the October Smoke Ring KAL has been upgraded and now also contains charts.
Other Tutorials and Tips to complement the October KAL
Check out the Previous KALs page for tutorials and tips for Smoke Rings. These tutorials and tips are free to all members.
Knit, learn, and enjoy the making!
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I finally finished my other project and got back to my smoke ring. The grafting was challenging (but then, everything in laceweight seems to be challenging) but I don’t think there’s any visible issue. I lightly blocked it so it would lie flat before picking up around the edge tonight and am starting on the 3″ of stockinette now. Maybe by the time I get to the lace section, I’ll be more comfortable with this yarn. I’ve knit with laceweight before, so I don’t know why this seems to be such a challenge. I know it’ll be really pretty when it’s done, though — your patterns always look lovely.
(For future reference, should I annotate my printout for that purlwise/knitwise wyif/wyib question? It’s two places — first, the first page sl 1 wyif should say as if to knit and second, the chart description of the symbol that should say wyif, right? Or do I misread the earlier Q&A?)
The chart symbol should say “sl 1 wyif” and do as described in the abbreviations section on page 1 for “sl 1 wyif” (i.e. slipped purl wise).
Thanks for keeping my annotations correct, Jackie!
My yarn that striped on the edging is now, of course, pooling. So there’s a block of lavender/gray and the rest is darker purple. It varies a little around the edges of the lavender section, of course. Well, it’s all interesting!
I have a little more than an inch of stockinette and have probably finished for the night. Since there’s most likely a World Series game 7 tomorrow evening, I should get more knitting time then.
How can I receive the Smoke Rings pattern -50% today as what my e-mail 10/23/2014 said I could get it for by 10/25/2014 which is today in USA
Carol
When you are logged in to your membership account, there is a coupon code that will display on the page for you to use. The coupon code is only good through the expiry date, which is today, so you’ll need to shop quickly. 🙂
Jackie, I just cast on for the Smoke Ring KAL and I have a question about the written instructions versus the chart symbols for the Lace Edging of the Smoke Ring. The written instructions state to but the chart symbol states ? Which is correct – yarn in front or back?
Sorry, Jackie, somehow my post is missing words . . . Trying again . . .
The written instructions state to sl 1 pwise wyif but the chart symbol states slip 1 kwise wyib? Which is correct – yarn in front or back? Purl – or Knit – wise? Thanks.
Sorry about that. It should be slip 1 kwise wyif.
Marvelous! Jackie, thank you so much for your quick reply. Back to knitting my edging!
I finished the lace edging (got a late start) and am picking up stitches but find I am short 4 of the slip stitches. Should I just make even increases as I knit the first row? I should be able to answer this question myself but want to make sure it won’t effect the overall appearance of the item.
I’m using some fingering weight alpaca I have on hand. This Smoke Ring should be very warm.
Hi Mary, You shouldn’t have been short 4 stitches, as the instructions are calculated to have the same number of slipped stitches along the edge as there are stitches to be picked up. i.e. 6 slipped stitches per 12-st rep lace edging point;
for the smaller size there are a total of 20 points after joining = 6 x 20 = 120 stitches to be picked up
for the larger size there are a total of 22 points after joining = 6 x 22 = 132 stitches to be picked up
But since you are short 4 stitches now (and if you can’t find where you missed the slipped stitches to go back and correct your pickup), you can fudge it by increasing the 4 stitches evenly (and as invisibly as possible) around on your first round of knitting. It’s only 4 stitches difference and should block out ok. Still, if you can find where you missed the stitches and correct it now, that would be better. Your choice, ok?
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This is a beautiful item to add to my wardrobe and to make as gifts.